The present invention relates to a camera with an automatic flash exposure system of the type in which an exposure control mechanism comprising a plurality of shutter blades which also function as the aperture blades and are operatively coupled to a stepping motor automatically adjusts, by discrete steps, the shutter blades, varying the lens f-number, in a manner functionally determined according as the object distance and the light flux produced by associated flash means such as a tube or bulb.
In order to eliminate the cumbersome cooperation of setting an aperture depending upon the distance to a subject and the light flux produced by a flash tube or bulb used in case of the flash exposure, there has been devised and successfully demonstrated as automatic flash exposure system in which an aperture is automatically set depending upon the distance to a subject by an aperture control or setting means operatively coupled to the focusing ring of the camera. Since the focusing ring and the aperture setting means are operatively interconnected by a complex mechanism such as a linkage or cam mechanism, the correct aperture cannot be set when the parts are worn out. Furthermore, the conventional automatic flash exposure system has a defect in that the aperture is set in a manner functionally only dependent upon the distance to a subject and the light flux produced by a flash tube or the like, without other exposure factors being taken into account. For instance, in case of the flash exposure of a subject illuminated by the natural light the aperture is determined only as a function of the distance to the subject and the light flux produced by the flash tube or bulb disregarding the brightness of the subject illuminated by the natural light so that the optimum exposure cannot be attained.